1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for the production of fibers and more particularly relates to the spinning of fibers having a discontinuous nature through an electron plasma, such fibers having special characteristics.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is significant prior art in the art of spinning fibers. U.S. Pat. No. 1,357,206 to Fuller is an older patent showing the basic structure in this art wherein a viscous liquid material is entered into a revolving vessel or container having a side wall containing a plurality of openings through which the viscous material is forced in fine streams by centrifugal force and after these streams leave the rotating central vessel, they are solidified into fibers. A variety of processes are used in the prior art for this solidification process which include hot air, heat, chemical vapors, sprays of other liquids and microwaves. The formed fibers usually fall to an area where they are collected.
Prior art in the area of plasma generated by a microwave discharge can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,730 to Hirose et al for Surface Treating Apparatus Utilizing Plasma Generated by Microwave Discharge and in the book Techniques and Applications of Plasma Chemistry edited by Hollahan and Bell published by John Wiley & Sons. An electron beam oscillator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,269,456 to W. W. Hansen et al.